Generally, a 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) communication system is called an Evolved Packet System (EPS), and the EPS includes an Evolved Packet Core (EPC) for a connection to other radio access network.
A policy and charging control structure of the EPC supports a Policy and Charging Enforcement Function (PCEF) and a Traffic Detection Function (TDF), and the PCEF and the TDF may be applied based on a subscriber policy.
In the EPC, a TDF entity as an entity which controls a media policy per application or a PCEF with an Application Detection Control (ADC) function (P-GW) entity is standardized.
The TDF entity or the P-GW entity detects application traffic, and transmits information related to the detected application traffic to a Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF) server. The PCRF server transmits a subscriber policy for the detected application traffic to the TDF entity or the P-GW entity thereby the TDF entity or the P-GW entity performs a function, such as a gating, a shaping, a redirection, and the like, as a traffic control function for the detected application traffic per application.
In a service provider network, there is an entity which provides a media processing function, such as trans-coding and video pacing for media traffic based on feedback information transmitted from a user equipment. The entity which provides the media processing function is located between the user equipment and an origin server which provides media contents (or a contents server), stops a Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), and predicts an available transmit rate in an available mobile communication network based on the feedback information received from the user equipment. After changing media traffic based on the predicted transmit rate, the entity which provides the media processing function transmits the changed media traffic or performs a function of adjusting a transmit rate of the media traffic.
Recently, mobile video traffic has rapidly increased. Accordingly, there is a need for enhancing a Quality of Experience (QoE) for the mobile video traffic. More specifically, there is a need for a new network structure which may support a media processing function and a policy for the media processing function.
In addition, there is a need for a network structure which may effectively process media by changing parameters for processing the media based on a network status which dynamically changes.
Further, there is a need for a function of processing media based on information related to a network status which dynamically changes, e.g., congestion status information for a base station or an available transmit rate for related traffic.
The above information is presented as background information only to assist with an understanding of the present disclosure. No determination has been made, and no assertion is made, as to whether any of the above might be applicable as prior art with regard to the present disclosure.